Multi-layer circuit boards contain and/or include electrical components which selectively and operatively populate opposed first and second surfaces (i.e., top and bottom surfaces) of each board (or other respective interior portions of each board), thereby desirably allowing each of the electrical circuit boards to contain and/or include a relatively large amount of electrical components which efficiently and densely populate the respective boards.
Due to the relatively dense component population, substantial amounts of heat are produced and/or generated within relatively small areas of the circuit boards. This generated heat undesirably prevents the components from properly functioning and may even irrevocably damage or destroy these components. Therefore it is desirable to form, create and/or manufacture circuit boards that are adapted to disperse and/or dissipate heat away from such heat producing components.
Pipes, tunnels and/or caverns, commonly referred to as “heat pipes”, may be used to disperse, dissipate and/or translate heat within these multi-layer circuit boards. Conventional heat pipes typically comprise an elongated material which forms a pair of open ends and which further forms a tunnel extending down the length of the elongated material and communicating with each of the open ends. By way of example and without limitation, a conventional heat pipe is typically operatively placed within an electronic assembly such that a first portion of the pipe is disposed near a warm or heat emitting component of the equipment and a second portion of the pipe is disposed near a cooler or heat absorbing area of the assembly, thereby allowing the pipe to transfer heat away from the heat emitting component toward the cooler or heat absorbing area.
One drawback associated with these conventional heat pipes is that they are typically made and/or manufactured from “additional” materials that are not needed for the functioning of the electronics equipment within which the heat pipes reside. Employing heat pipes which use additional materials is especially undesirable in a multi-layer circuit board which is designed to support and/or contain several electrical components in a relatively small amount of space. Particularly, such additional materials add both unwanted size and weight to multi-layer circuit boards.
Consequently, there is a need for circuit boards created by a method which allows many small electrical components to densely populate respective layers within the circuit boards, while still allowing heat to be dissipated and/or dispersed away from heat-emitting components. Specifically, there is a need for a method of creating heat pipes within multi-layer circuit boards which are integrally formed within the circuit boards such that very little “excess” or additional material is needed to create the heat pipes.